THE Rwanda Education Board, through its ICT and education department, is distributing 1,320 computers to schools in its drive towards promoting ICT in schools.Currently, 836 computers have so far been distributed to sixty schools, according to the Head of the ICT Department, Evode Mukama.“This programme was designed to ensure that even students in those schools in the rural areas can have access to computers so that they can be able to use ICT in their education just like their counterparts in the urban schools,” Mukama said.At least two schools are being selected in each district with computers being given out ranging from 11 to 22.The exercise that started in July will come to an end next month with officials saying that about 400 computers are yet to be distributed before end of the month.Mukama said that in promoting ICT usage, REB will also ensure that the schools benefiting from this facility are also freely connected with internet.“There will be a system to check if the schools are utilising these computers for the good of benefiting students as well as teachers. The machines are to used and not just stored,” he said.For those schools without electricity, REB says that that there is a plan to have solar panels installed so that they (schools) benefit in the next phase of computer distribution.The initiative is seen to be one that will boost the One Laptop Per Child initiative that has seen students receive free laptops. This is the latest step taken in promoting ICT in schools coming after the ICT training programme for 120 teachers in each district. Mukama said that both initiatives move hand-in-hand adding that the trained teachers are playing a very important role in promoting the use of ICT in their respective schools.
